“A year out from the midterm elections, the data clearly show that Arizonans overwhelmingly support LGBTQ equality,” said JoDee Winterhof, Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs. “Just as they have in North Carolina last year and Alabama last month, Arizona voters will stand up to reject candidates who target LGBTQ people. These polling results make it clear -- hate is not a winning political strategy.”

Following the defeat of anti-LGBTQ politicians like former North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory and Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, the new polling makes clear that voters in Arizona  resoundingly reject elected officials who attack and discriminate against the LGBTQ community. Almost half of voters (46 percent) say they would feel less favorably toward an official who opposes LGBTQ equality, versus 9 percent who say it would make them more favorable toward the official. This 37 point margin demonstrates just how toxic it is to attack LGBTQ people for perceived political gain. Voters will no longer tolerate discrimination against their family, friends and neighbors.

Arizona voters also oppose the Trump-Pence administration's efforts to roll back LGBTQ equality, with 58 percent opposing Trump’s efforts to ban qualified transgender people from serving in the United States armed forces. By 15 point margin,voters also oppose laws granting business owners a dangerous license to discriminate.

Overall, Arizona voters support LGBTQ equality and protections for LGBTQ people such as banning so-called “conversion therapy” and prohibiting discrimination against prospective LGBTQ parents and kids in foster care and adoption. Other key findings from the poll:

• 76 percent of Arizona voters support LGBTQ employees having access to paid family and medical leave, without fear of losing a paycheck or their job for the birth or adoption of a child, or to care for a sick family member.

• 63 percent of Arizona voters support allowing LGBTQ people to legally adopt children.

• 60 percent of Arizona voters support making it illegal to discriminate against LGBTQ people in employment.

• 59 percent of Arizona voters support making it illegal to discriminate against LGBTQ people in housing.

HRC has endorsed Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-9) for U.S. Senate, a staunch advocate for the LGBTQ community. She serves as a co-chair of the chamber’s Equality Caucus and has earned a perfect 100 on HRC’s Congressional Scorecards each Congress since she was elected in 2012. Sinema is also a cosponsor of the Equality Act, crucial federal legislation that would extend comprehensive federal protections to LGBTQ Americans. Arizona voters support passing this legislation by a 63 to 16 percent margin.

In July, HRC announced HRC Rising, the earliest, largest grassroots expansion in its 37-year history ahead of 2018 midterms. This historic campaign to win equality in states from coast-to-coast, resist the politics of hate, fight anti-LGBTQ legislation, and fuel pro-equality candidates and initiatives, will include six priority states: Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, HRC has identified more than 700,000 Arizonans as likely “Equality Voters” — those who are strong supporters of policies that advance LGBTQ equality, including marriage equality and other measures prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Read the full polling memo here.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer equality. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

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